Method for uniformly distributing bulk material taken from a stockpile

ABSTRACT

Method of uniformly distributing bulk material reclaimed from an elongated stockpile includes clearing bulk material from a section of the stockpile and raising the bulk material with a single clearing device capable of traveling transversely to the stockpile and mounted on a bridge movable in longitudinal direction of the stockpile, delivering the material raised by the clearing device to a bin extending substantially over the width of the stockpile and depositing in the bin, respectively, the material corresponding to the cleared section of the stockpile, and discharging the material at adjusted flow rates from the bin through a plurality of discharge devices located at the bottom and extending along the length of the bin, so as to deposit the quantities of the bulk material corresponding to the respective cleared sections of the stockpile at rates commensurate with their respective volumes on a common discharge belt underlying the plurality of discharge devices; and apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method.

United States Patent Smits [15] 3,656,641 [4 1 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] METHODFOR UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTING BULK MATERIAL TAKEN FROM A STOCKPILE [72]Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Lambert Smlts, Langenberg, Germany Westfalia Dinnendaltl GroppelAktlengesellschalt, Bochum, Germany [58] Field of Search ..'....2l4/l0,17 CX, 152; 198/36, 198/44, 47, 48, 56, 57

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,054,377 4/1959 Germany ..l98/56 McMillan ..2l4/10 PrimaryExaminer-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-F rank E. WernerAttorney-Curt M. Avery, Arthur E. Wilfond, Herbert L. Lerner and DanielJ. Tick ABSTRACT Method of uniformly distributing bulk materialreclaimed from an elongated stockpile includes clearing bulk materialfrom a section of the stockpile and raising the bulk material with asingle clearing device capable of traveling transversely to thestockpile and mounted on a bridge movable in longitudinal direction ofthe stockpile, delivering the material raised by the clearing device toa bin extending substantially over the width of the'stockpile anddepositing in the bin, respectively, the material corresponding to thecleared section of the stockpile, and discharging the material atadjusted flow rates from the bin through a plurality of dischargedevices located at the bottom and extending along the length of the bin,so as to deposit the quantities of the bulk material corresponding tothe respective cleared sections of the stockpile at rates commensuratewith their respective volumes on a common discharge belt underlying theplurality of discharge devices; and apparatus for carrying out theforegoing method.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAFR 18 we I 3.6564641 MATERIAL TAKENFROM A STOCKPILE The invention relates to method of distributing bulkmaterial reclaimed from a stockpile, and apparatus for carrying out themethod.

As is generally known, stockpiles are formed or built by piling the bulkmaterial with an unloading device in superimposed parallel layers intoan elongated heap. Reclaiming of the bulk material from the heaped-upstockpile is then effected at an end of the stockpile by a clearing orreclaiming device formed, for example, of a scraper, a bucket chain orthe like, which is capable of traveling in the longitudinal direction ofthe stockpile. Pick-up devices such as power shovels, clamshell cranes,or the like, are coordinated with these clearing or reclaiming devices,and drop the bulk material stripped from the stockpile onto a beltconveyor running parallel to the end face of the stockpile, the beltconveyor, in turn, delivering the material to a stationary conveyorextending along the length of the stockpile.

It is an object of the invention to provide method and apparatus foruniformly distributing bulk material taken from a stockpile whichprovide a uniform distribution considerably improved over thedistribution attainable by heretofore known methods and apparatuses ofthis general type, while at the same time reducing the cost of theapparatus.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided inaccordance with the invention, method of uniformly distributing bulkmaterial reclaimed from an elongated stockpile which comprises clearingbulk material from a transverse section of the stockpile and raising thebulk material with a single clearingdevice capable of travelingtransversely to the stockpile and mounted on a bridge movable inlongitudinal direction of the stockpile, delivering the material raisedby the clearing device to a bin extending substantially over the widthof the stockpile and depositing in the him-respectively, the materialcorresponding to the cleared section of the stockpile, and dischargingthe material at adjusted flow rates from the bin through a plurality ofdischarge devices located at the bottom and extending along the lengthof the bin, so as to deposit the quantities of the bulk materialcorresponding to the respective cleared sections of the stockpile atrates commensurate with their respective volumes on a commondischargebeltunderlying the plurality of discharge devices; andapparatus for carrying out the method.

In accordance with another feature of the method of the invention, atevery location of the bin, the quantity of bulk material discharged perunit time corresponds to the quantity of bulk material raised by theclearing device in the corresponding transverse section of thestockpile.

According to the apparatus of the invention, the bin must therefore beof large enough dimensions to be able to contain more bulk material thanthe material required for a full removal sweep of the clearing device.In order to attain the desired transfer of bulk material in accordancewith another feature of the apparatus of the invention, the bin isprovided with a multiplicity of discharge devices, each of which isadjustable proportionately to the quantity of bulk materialaccummulating from the corresponding section of the stockpile.

After adjustment of these discharge devices, they are actuated incommon, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, so thatthe bulk material from the bin is deposited in a uniform layer on adischarge belt underlying the discharge devices.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as method andapparatus for uniformly distributing bulk material taken from astockpile, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the detailsshown, since various modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range ofequivalents of the claims.

The invention, however, together with additionalobjects and advantagesthereof, will be best understood from the fol- METHOD FOR UNIFORMLYDISTRIBUTING BULK lowing description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side and rear elevational views, respectively, ofapparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, for unifonnlydistributing bulk material reclaimed from an elongated stockpile, theapparatus including a bin and a clearing device capable of travelingtogether in longitudinal direction of the stockpile; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the apparatus ofFIGS. 1 and 2 having a stationary bin.

Referring now to the drawing, and first particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2thereof, there is shown an elongated stockpile 1 of bulk material suchas crushed stone, sand, gravel, coal, metal ores and the like. Inaccordance with the invention, the device reclaiming the bulk materialfrom the stockpile 1 includes a bridge capable of traveling in thelongitudinal direction of the stockpile l, i.e. horizontally in theplane of the drawing of FIG. 1. The bridge 2 carries on a side thereoffacing an end face of the stockpile 1 a trimmer or scraper 3, a bucketwheel 4 and a conveyor belt 5 which are capable of traveling together onthe bridge 2 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction ofthe stockpile 1. On the rearward side of the bridge 2, i.e. at theright-hand side of FIG. 1, a bin 6 is located which extends over thewidth of the stockpile l, as seen more clearly in FIG. 2. Bulk materialdeposited in the bin 6 is discharged through a multiplicity of dischargedevices 7 which extend along the length of the bin 6, at the bottomthereof onto a discharge belt 8 located below the bin 6 and thedischarge devices 7.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The scraper 3 loosens the bulk material in a section at the end face ofthe stockpile 1 corresponding to the working width of the bucket wheel4. The bulk material that has slid down to the foot of the stockpile l,is then delivered with the aid of the bucket wheel 4 to the conveyorbelt 5 which throws the bulk material corresponding to the clearedsection of the stockpile 1 into the bin 6. Due to the trapezoidal crosssection of the stockpilel, the quantity of the bulk material cleared ineach section of the stockpile is variable; therefore, the bin 6 isfilled with bulk material to varying levels. In order to be able,therefore, to attain good uniform distribution of the bulk material onthe discharge belt 8, the discharge devices 7 of the bin 6 must be soadjusted, respectively, that a quantity corresponding to the respectivesection of the stockpile I can be discharged therefrom. The quantity ofbulk material deposited on the discharge belt 8 is consequently largelydistributed uniformly, each of the quantities of the bulk materialcorresponding to the respective cleared sections of the stockpile beingdeposited at flow rates commensurate with their respective volumes. Thedischarge devices 7 may be of conventional construction, suitable meansbeing provided thereon for varying the flow cross section of bulkmaterial therethrough so as to thereby vary the flow rate of the bulkmaterial in accordance with the quantity of bulk material taken from arespective section of the stockpile 1.

In the second embodiment of the apparatus of the invention as shown inFIG. 3, there is provided a self-propelled clearing device 9 located infront of an end face of a stockpile l and including a conveyor belt 10corresponding to the conveyor belt 5 of the embodiment of FIG. 1.Instead of delivering the bulk material directly to a bin as in theembodiment of FIG. 1, the conveyor belt 10 of the embodiment of FIG. 3delivers the bulk material to a conveyor belt 1 l which conveys thematerial in the direction of the associated arrows transversely to thelongitudinal direction of the stockpile l. The conveyor belt 11 iscapable of traveling as a whole on rails, shown diagrammatically ashorizontal lines in FIG. 3, in the longitudinal direction of thestockpile 1. The conveyor belt 11 drops the material conveyed therebyonto a conveyor belt 12 which runs in longitudinal direction of thestockpile 1. In turn, the conveyor belt 12 transfers the bulk materialcarried thereby to a risingly inclined conveyor belt 13, extendingtransversely to the conveyor belt 12 over a stationary bin 15. As in theembodiment of FIG. 1, the bin of the embodiment of FIG. 3 is providedwith a multiplicity of discharge devices (not shown in FIG. 3) throughwhich the bulk material deposited in the bin 15 is discharged onto adischarge belt 16 located thereunder. The discharge belt 16 throws thebulk material onto a conveyor belt 17 extending in longitudinaldirection of the stockpile l and is carried away by the conveyor belt17. A throw-off carriage is provided for the conveyor belt 13 andtravels therealong in synchronism with the clearing device 9 in order tomaintain the same deposition of the bulk material as mentionedhereinabove with respect to the bin 6 of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

lclaim:

1. Method of unifonnly distributing bulk material reclaimed from anelongated stockpile which comprises clearing bulk material from asection of the stockpile and raising the bulk material with a singleclearing device capable of traveling transversely to the stockpile andmounted on a bridge movable in longitudinal direction of the stockpile,delivering the material raised by the clearing device to a bin extendingsubstantially over the width of the stockpile and depositing in the bin,respectively, the material corresponding to the cleared section of thestockpile, and discharging the material at adjusted flow rates from thebin through a plurality of discharge devices located at the bottom andextending along the length of the bin so as to deposit the quantities ofthe bulk material corresponding the respective cleared sections of thestockpile at rates commensurate with their respective volumes on acommon discharge belt underlying the plurality of discharge devices.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein, at every location of the bin,the quantity of bulk material discharged per unit time corresponds tothat quantity of bulk material that is cleared by the clearing device ina corresponding section of the stockpile.

1. Method of uniformly distributing bulk material reclaimed from anelongated stockpile which comprises clearing bulk material from asection of the stockpile and raising the bulk material with a singleclearing device capable of traveling transversely to the stockpile andmounted on a bridge movable in longitudinal direction of the stockpile,delivering the material raised by the clearing device to a bin extendingsubstantially over the width of the stockpile and depositing in the bin,respectively, the material corresponding to the cleared section of thestockpile, and discharging the material at adjusted flow rates from thebin through a plurality of discharge devices located at the bottom andextending along the length of the bin so as to deposit the quantities ofthe bulk material corresponding the respective cleared sections of thestockpile at rates commensurate with their respective volumes on acommon discharge belt underlying the plurality of discharge devices. 2.Method according to claim 1 wherein, at every location of the bin, thequantity of bulk material discharged per unit time corresponds to thatquantity of bulk material that is cleared by the clearing device in acorresponding section of the stockpile.